Sacramento -- An obscure political committee funded by some of state Sen. Don Perata's top donors paid money to people under scrutiny by federal authorities for their financial ties to the Oakland lawmaker. Concerned Citizens for California took in the bulk of its money from three donors who gave $25,000 each. The fund then spent most of its money paying close associates of Perata, D-Oakland. Timothy G. Staples, Perata's college roommate, was paid $33,000 by the committee for what was described on state filings as campaign consulting and is owed another $12,000. Staples, through a company he owns, has paid...